September 1999 — 1999-11-03

In September, 210 metropolitan areas recorded unemployment rates below the U.S. average (4.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted), while 112 areas had higher rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Twenty-seven metropolitan areas reported rates below 2.0 percent, with 16 of these located in the Midwest, 6 in New England, and 5 in the South. Of the four areas with rates above 10.0 percent, two were in the West and two were in the South. In September, 103 metropolitan areas registered unemployment rates below 3.0 percent, while 33 areas reported rates above 6.0 percent. The lowest jobless rates were in Madison, Wis. (1.0 percent), and Columbia, Mo. (1.1 percent). The highest rate was in Yuma, Ariz. (36.6 percent), followed by McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Tex. (13.1 percent), and Visalia-Tulare- Porterville, Calif. (13.0 percent).